Safe deposit litter disposal box

ABSTRACT

A container for spent cat litter. The disposal container is in the form of a box having a bottom and sidewalls emanating therefrom and terminating in an edge defining an opening. The bottom and sidewalls establish a volume. A lid is hingedly connected to a retainer, the retainer being removably supported by the edge. The retainer is sized with respect to the sidewalls to enable a liner to be draped within the container and over the edge to be maintained by frictionally fitting the retainer to the liner and sidewalls. The lid is sized to removably reside over the opening when the retainer is applied to the sidewalls, the lid having a seal positioned with respect to the edge to minimize odors emanating from the volume.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention involves a container for spent cat litter, a necessary consumable used by virtually all domestic cat owners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Owners of domestic cats routinely employ a litter box and often multiple litter boxes if more than one cat resides in a particular household. Each litter box generally is in the form of a litter pan, a rigid or semi-rigid receptacle, which includes a liner and a quantity of litter.

Cats are well known for their sense of hygiene and most will not use a litter box if it is not well maintained. Waste is removed from the litter contained within the litter box at least daily and the litter itself must be periodically replaced, for failure to do so could result in a cat rejecting the litter box entirely resulting in rugs and furniture being the receivers of unwanted animal waste.

Ideally, waste scooped from the litter box is placed in a receptacle maintaining the hygienic nature of its surroundings. The receptacle should be easily accessible and configured to minimize unwanted odors. Commonly used trash receptacles are poorly designed for such purposes as they are oftentimes located remotely from the litter box and with animal waste held in a scoop, gaining access to them can be quite inconvenient. Further, such receptacles generally do not address the issue of odors and, as a consequence, the use of a domestic trash receptacle could result in objectionable smells permeating one's surroundings.

Cats are oftentimes kept in apartments and in small surroundings where space can be at a premium. Proper cat maintenance requires ready access to litter, litter bags, dust pans and brushes, scoops and the like, all of which are routinely employed for that purpose. Such utensils are, for the most part, located proximate the litter box which, in turn, is oftentimes situated remotely from any trash receptacle used by the homeowner. To be able to join a properly constructed litter waste container with other pet utensils is seen as a significant advancement in the area of pet maintenance.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a disposal container for spent cat litter which addresses the various shortcomings referred to above.

These and further objects will become more readily apparent when considering the following disclosure and appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A container for spent cat litter. The container is in the form of a box having a bottom and sidewalls emanating therefrom and terminating in an edge defining an opening. The bottom and sidewalls establish a volume. A lid is hingedly connected to a retainer, the retainer being removably supported by the edge. The retainer is sized with respect to the sidewalls to enable a liner to be draped within the container and over the edge to be maintained by frictionally fitting the retainer to the liner and sidewalls. The lid is sized to removably reside over the opening when the retainer is applied to the sidewalls, the lid having a seal positioned with respect to the edge to minimize odors emanating from the volume.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the litter disposal box of the present invention with its lid opened to provide access to its interior.

FIG. 2 is rear perspective view of the litter disposal box of FIG. 1 with its lid closed and showing features appearing on a back sidewall thereof.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are side plan views of the present invention illustrating the insertion of a suitable liner facilitating its use as a litter disposal box.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Novel features which are characteristic of the invention, as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for illustration description only and are not intended as definitions of the limits of the invention. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are recited with particularity in the claims.

There has been broadly outlined more important features of the invention in the summary above and in order that the detailed description which follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form additional subject matter of the claims appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based readily may be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important therefore, that claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Certain terminology and the derivations thereof may be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, words such as “upward,” “downward,” “left,” and “right” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made unless otherwise stated. Similar words such as “inward” and “outward” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of a device or area and designated parts thereof. Reference in the singular tense include the plural and vice versa, unless otherwise noted.

Turning to FIG. 1, container 10 is shown. Container 10 for disposable litter is intended for the receipt of spent cat litter by first placing liner 60 within container 10 as will be more fully describe below.

Container 10 is shown having bottom 11 and sidewalls 12, 13, 14 and 15 emanating therefrom and terminating in edge 16 defining opening 17. The bottom and sidewalls establish a volume 18 for receipt of a suitable liner and spent cat litter.

Container 10 is further provided with lid 30 connected to retainer 20 by virtue of hinge 25. In reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, retainer 20 is supported by edge 16 and removable in the direction of arrows 51 and 52. It is sized with regard to sidewalls 12, 13, 14 and 15 to enable liner 60 and its top edge 61 to be draped within volume 18 and over edge 16 to be maintained in position by frictionally fitting retainer 20 to liner 60 and sidewalls 12, 13, 14 and 15 as noted by arrows 53 and 54. This selectively maintains opening 17 contiguous with liner 60 noting that, generally, such liners are provided with a drawstring (not shown) such that upon removal of retainer 20, liner 60 can be simply removed from volume 18 and disposed of in the usual fashion.

As noted by reference to FIG. 1, disposal container 10 is, as a preferred embodiment, configured such that opening 17 is substantially rectangular. Retainer 20 is provided with left side 23, right side 21, top side 24 and bottom side 22 which together are sized to frictionally fit rectangular opening 17.

To remove retainer 20 and hingedly connected lid 30, retainer 20 is provided with gripping regions 26 and 36 which, in this illustration, are simply molded to curve outwardly from disposal container 10 and its sidewalls 12 and 14. One would grip these portions and to pull upwardly in the direction of arrows 51 and 52 and, upon doing so, liner 60 installed within volume 18 by draping a portion thereof over edge 16 and thereupon returning retainer 20 to its FIGS. 1 and 2 orientation thus capturing liner 60 between retainer 20 and edge 16 along sidewalls 12, 13, 14 and 15. It is quite apparent that liner 60, once ready for disposal, can be removed from volume 18 by simply gripping regions 26 and 36, pulling retainer 20 from the container's sidewalls in the direction of arrows 51 and 52.

As noted, an important feature of the present invention is to provide a receptacle which minimizes odors permeating its surrounding. This is accomplished by providing seal 32 within lid 30 circumscribing internal lid surface 31 with respect to edge 16. Seal 32 is intended to mate with edge 16 as lid 30 rotates about hinge 25 whereupon latch 27 engages receiver 28.

As a further preferred embodiment, reference is once again made to FIG. 2 wherein at least one of sidewalls, in this instance, sidewall 15 is provided with attachments 40 and 41 for joining disposal container 10 to a complimentary article. Attachment members 40 and 41, in this instance, are configured in the form of downwardly extending hook members which can be joined to a complimentary ledge whose top surface is sized to pass beneath and be removably secured by attachment members 40 and 41. A suitable such complimentary article is described and claimed in applicant's corresponding U.S. application Ser. No. 13/450,100 filed on Apr. 18, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In doing so, other implements useful in maintaining the health, wellbeing and hygiene of a cat can be associated with the present invention in a compact and neat arrangement.

The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensions, relationships, or operations as described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed as suitable without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like. Therefore, the above description and illustration should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims. 

1. A disposal container for spent cat litter comprising a box having a bottom and sidewalls emanating therefrom and terminating in an edge defining an opening, said bottom and sidewalls establishing a volume, a lid hingedly connected to a retainer, said retainer being removably supported by said edge, said retainer being sized with regard to said sidewalls to enable a liner to be draped within said container and over said edge to be maintained by frictionally fitting said retainer to said liner and sidewalls, said lid sized to removably reside over said opening when said retainer is applied to said sidewalls, said lid having a seal positioned with respect to said edge to minimize odors emanating from said volume, and wherein at least one of said sidewalls further comprises a plurality of downward extending hook members for joining said disposal container to a ledge. 2-4. (canceled)
 5. In combination, a disposal container and complimentary ledge for disposal of spent cat litter and for selectively joining said disposal container to said complimentary ledge, said disposal container having a bottom and sidewalls emanating therefrom and terminating in an edge defining an opening, said bottom and sidewalls establishing a volume, a lid hingedly connected to a retainer, said retainer being removably supported by said edge, said retainer being sized with regard to said sidewalls to enable a liner to be draped within said container and over said edge to be maintained by frictionally fitting said retainer to said liner and sidewalls, said lid sized to removably reside over said opening when said retainer is applied to said sidewalls, said lid having a seal positioned with respect to said edge to minimize odors emanating from said volume, and wherein at least one of said sidewalls further comprises a plurality of downward extending hook members for selectively joining said disposal container to said ledge. 